Democrats decry flu profiteer doctors

The Democrat Party yesterday urged the government to tackle profiteers taking advantage of influenza A (H1N1) fear.

Democrat Party Spokesman Buranat Samuttarak said the increase in the number of H1N1 patients in Thailand was normal because about 900,000 people were diagnosed with flu during the rainy season every year.

He said the situation was not as serious as feared, there had been no flu deaths in the country, and fewer than 1,000 people had been infected with this new strain.

Buranat said some in the medical profession had tried to capitalise on the public's fear by claiming that the flu could be curbed by vaccination. Some hospitals also reportedly are giving an anti-viral drug supposed to be used by travellers from abroad or those with severe symptoms, he said, and urging tests for the new flu and marketing food supplements.

The Thai authorities confirmed yesterday that 73 new cases of influenza A (H1N1) had been diagnosed, raising the country's H1N1 patients to 662.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said yesterday that since the new strain was detected in Thailand on April 28 only 11 patients had been admitted to hospital and no deaths had occurred.

Most cases no longer show severe symptoms, he said, but despite fewer deaths than from common flu the ministry would continue measures to control the spread of the virus.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said three students from schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had been diagnosed with the new flu and he had instructed nearly 400 BMA schools to clean their premises again this week.

University Presidents Council of Thailand chairman Dr Pirom Kamol Ratanakul said it would co-host a forum on A (H1N1) on Thursday at the National Institute of Development Administration to analyse the situation and set a action guidelines for universities, especially those with demonstration schools, and the public.

A Suan Dusit poll showed that most Thais understood about the virus and how to protect themselves from it and most people were confident that the authorities could contain it.

The survey, conducted on 1,143 residents of Bangkok and other provinces on Wednesday and Thursday, found that 62 per cent of respondents said they understood about the virus while 26 per cent said they had a good knowledge of the disease.

Fifty-one per cent said they were confident that the government, Public Health Ministry and medical authorities were competent to contain the disease. However, 44 per cent thought otherwise, saying confused information from the ministry was misleading the public about the severity of the threat.